A good question but it was not a new batch of chemicals. I actually glazed 4 or 5 pieces with the new 20,000 gram bucket and they came out perfect. I went back to glazing several days later and the glaze was hard-panned. That is when I added the bentonite and epsom salts.

Next firing in a month or so, I will pour out half of the bucket into a a separate bucket and add the Mason Stain #6600 and see how it turns out.

I used to have problems with hardpanned glazes in the HS. Took the lid off, let them dry out if not much water or pour off water. turned bucket upside down on an open pillow case. Dumped out glaze into case, broke up as much as possible with open claw hammer without hitting pillow case, closed up pillow case and ran through slab roller with high setting, then lower. Turned pillow case inside out in clean bucket, added water, mixed, strained twice, then added 2 tablespoons of saturated epsom salt solution. This worked for me time and again, as working in a classroom there is not a whole lot of time to dig things out of a bucket bits at a time, never hurt the slab roller, and pillow case worked great-always wear a mask and gloves when using hammer claw.